Forum Help

If you want to ask about changing your username, have login problems, have password problems or a technical issue please email forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com

Posting help:

If you want to ask why a word can't be typed, your signature's been changed, or a post has been deleted see the Forum Rules. If you don't find the answer you can ask forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com though due to volumes we can't guarantee replies.

Login to MSE Forum

Join the MSE Forum

Skimlinks adds tracking to some, primarily retailers' links, to show they come from this forum. For some retailers, instead of using Skimlinks to turn the link into a tracked link, we use affiliated links set up through other third parties. Then if it generates revenue from that, this site is paid. The links don't change the content, or what you see or track individual data ? but they do help fund this free forum. So we hope you choose to switch it on. See the full Skimlinks factsheet for more.

Yes. It'd be easier to re-seal (just strip it away, clean the area and then pop some new sealant down - it's actually a pretty quick job).

Also if the sealant is round the bath or shower tray then a good piece of advice I was given is that if it's a bath - half-fill it with water so that the sealant will 'set' with weight in the bath (and therefore will not pull away when you climb in), for a shower tray, just put something of weight in it too.

Yes. It'd be easier to re-seal (just strip it away, clean the area and then pop some new sealant down - it's actually a pretty quick job).

Also if the sealant is round the bath or shower tray then a good piece of advice I was given is that if it's a bath - half-fill it with water so that the sealant will 'set' with weight in the bath (and therefore will not pull away when you climb in), for a shower tray, just put something of weight in it too.

Cheers

by John_M_Business”

That is a really good idea!

Last edited by Bendybops19; 21-06-2005 at 1:00 PM.

I gave up jogging for my health when my thighs kept rubbing together and setting fire to my knickers

roll up a piece of kitchen roll, and lay along the sealant, then pour bleach on top, and leave for 10mins - then just lift the kitchen roll off, bin it, and then give the sealant a quick swish with some water - brings it up like new, every time

what the best way to strip the sealant using a knife etc might damage the bath!

Those we love don't go away,They walk beside us every day,Unseen, unheard, but always near,
Still loved, still missed and very dear
Our thoughts are ever with you,Though you have passed away.And those who loved you dearly,
Are thinking of you today.

If your silicone comes off when wet, it's probably not been put onto a clean surface to start with and has cured without fully adhering to the surface, or it was poor quality silicone.
You need to remove it completely, clean the area to be redone. Let the area dry out. Fill the bath half full. Then reapply the new silicone.

As for removing it, this is difficult to describe and everyone does it differently.
I use a new stanley blade to cut along the tile edge. I then cut out as much as possible with the blade. Then I have a sharp narrow wood chisel that I hold upto the silicone edge on the bath and carefully run it along the bath under the silicone, this lifts it up. You can scrape as much as you like providing the new silicone bead will cover it up.

I'm not sure why silicone needs to be cleaned. Mines good stuff and has been on for about 5 years. Its not discoloured in any way.

I think if you remove as much water from the area after your shower/bath it helps.

I always use the drying towel to give the shower cubicle a quick rub down to remove water after my shower. It takes me 15 secs to do and my cubicle looks the same as when I made it 5 years ago. Plus I've never had to bleach my silicone.

I always do dry the bathroom sides everytime it gets wet, but eventually the sealant comes off when i wipe it dry. I have'nt replaced the sealant from the ones the previous owner put on, but i did try to do it once only to find out that i bought the wrong thing - it looked like cement and crumbled away when it got wet!!!

i want to remove it as eventually i will sell my house and it will look tidier without the mould on lol

Those we love don't go away,They walk beside us every day,Unseen, unheard, but always near,
Still loved, still missed and very dear
Our thoughts are ever with you,Though you have passed away.And those who loved you dearly,
Are thinking of you today.

Silicone remover is OK to tidy up after removing most of the sealant with a knife. I don't think it would work too well if applied direct to full thickness sealant, it does say on the instructions on the one I have to remove as much sealant as possible first.

Last time I used a wide snap-off blade knife (allows a longer blade and better angle than a stanley knife) and a window scraper.

I used a bleach spray afterwards to clean any mould from the gap, then wipe down with meths to remove any residue and help dry the gap.

The shape of the new sealant should not be recessed or concave so that water will sit on it as that can lead to mould.

Users saying Thanks (2)

Thanks - managed to get most of it removed without the need for a silicone remover. Anyway, I just wondered whether it is ok to give it a second coat of sealant the next day to make absolute sure or is that not usually necessary if it is done right the first time?
Is there any harm in doing it?

How this site works

We think it's important you understand the strengths and limitations of the site. We're a journalistic website and aim to provide the best MoneySaving guides, tips, tools and techniques, but can't guarantee to be perfect, so do note you use the information at your own risk and we can't accept liability if things go wrong.

This info does not constitute financial advice, always do your own research on top to ensure it's right for your specific circumstances and remember we focus on rates not service.

Do note, while we always aim to give you accurate product info at the point of publication, unfortunately price and terms of products and deals can always be changed by the provider afterwards, so double check first.

We don't as a general policy investigate the solvency of companies mentioned (how likely they are to go bust), but there is a risk any company can struggle and it's rarely made public until it's too late (see the Section 75 guide for protection tips).

We often link to other websites, but we can't be responsible for their content.

Always remember anyone can post on the MSE forums, so it can be very different from our opinion.

MoneySavingExpert.com is part of the MoneySupermarket Group, but is entirely editorially independent. Its stance of putting consumers first is protected and enshrined in the legally-binding MSE Editorial Code.